Third Grade Curriculum
Welcome to my curriculum page! I love teaching third grade and I think our curriculum is filled with great activities for your child to be engaged in. Below you will find a short snippet of what programs we use in third grade. If at any time you have a question about what we are teaching or need further information, please contact me by email.
Math In Focus
Based upon the Singapore method of teaching mathematics, Math in Focus features a problem-based approach that builds on a concrete-to-pictorial-to-abstract progression. Within each grade fewer topics are taught, but at a more in-depth level; visual representations, modeling strategies, and a development of conceptual understanding, place value, and computation fluency help students to understand the "how" behind their exercises.
Math In Focus
Based upon the Singapore method of teaching mathematics, Math in Focus features a problem-based approach that builds on a concrete-to-pictorial-to-abstract progression. Within each grade fewer topics are taught, but at a more in-depth level; visual representations, modeling strategies, and a development of conceptual understanding, place value, and computation fluency help students to understand the "how" behind their exercises.
Spelling
The goal of the Rebecca Sitton Spelling Program is for students to learn to spell correctly in their everyday writing, not just for a Friday test. The time frame is not necessarily a Monday through Friday schedule, which allows for teachers to customize instruction to meet the needs of their classes. Students are held accountable across the curriculum for the correct spelling of priority words. The program recycles words and skills for long term mastery.
***Also try www.spellingcity.com for some fun spelling activities
The goal of the Rebecca Sitton Spelling Program is for students to learn to spell correctly in their everyday writing, not just for a Friday test. The time frame is not necessarily a Monday through Friday schedule, which allows for teachers to customize instruction to meet the needs of their classes. Students are held accountable across the curriculum for the correct spelling of priority words. The program recycles words and skills for long term mastery.
***Also try www.spellingcity.com for some fun spelling activities
Mrs. Cardascia-Social Studies
I will be teaching about Native Americans during our content switch. We will begin with the Land Bridge and travel to the Northwest, Northeast, Plains and Southwest regions of America. We will also learn about some famous explorers during the year. In June, we will learn about what school was like around the time of 1860-1920. We will visit the Old Center School and go back in time for the day to experience what life was like during that era.
I will be teaching about Native Americans during our content switch. We will begin with the Land Bridge and travel to the Northwest, Northeast, Plains and Southwest regions of America. We will also learn about some famous explorers during the year. In June, we will learn about what school was like around the time of 1860-1920. We will visit the Old Center School and go back in time for the day to experience what life was like during that era.
Science-Mr. Szczesniak
Mr. Szczesniak will be teaching science this year. Students will become familiar with and use the scientific method to investigate concepts about matter, rocks and minerals, and plant and animal adaptations.
Readers’ Workshop
Our work during Readers’ Workshop aims to prepare kids for any reading task they will face or set themselves, to turn them into life-long, confident readers. Our program is based on the Teachers College Reading and Writing Program (TCRWP), which relies on research that shows that kids need to read a lot of texts, with high comprehension, in order to move up levels of text complexity. TCRWP reading workshops are structured to allow for students to read for long stretches of time in the reading workshop. Research has shown that the amount of time reading was the best predictor of reading achievement. To progress as readers, readers must have ample time to read a lot and they must have texts they can read independently. The TCRWP stands behind the mountains of research that supports teaching students’ developing a repertoire of strategies that proficient readers use so that they can draw on them whenever they are reading in order to successfully comprehend the text. The reading curriculum offers students a balance of reading literature and informational texts throughout the year. The curriculum for our informational text unit supports students in learning to grasp major ideas and concepts. This unit supports students in reading to acquire and use both academic vocabulary and domain-specific vocabulary.
Our work during Readers’ Workshop aims to prepare kids for any reading task they will face or set themselves, to turn them into life-long, confident readers. Our program is based on the Teachers College Reading and Writing Program (TCRWP), which relies on research that shows that kids need to read a lot of texts, with high comprehension, in order to move up levels of text complexity. TCRWP reading workshops are structured to allow for students to read for long stretches of time in the reading workshop. Research has shown that the amount of time reading was the best predictor of reading achievement. To progress as readers, readers must have ample time to read a lot and they must have texts they can read independently. The TCRWP stands behind the mountains of research that supports teaching students’ developing a repertoire of strategies that proficient readers use so that they can draw on them whenever they are reading in order to successfully comprehend the text. The reading curriculum offers students a balance of reading literature and informational texts throughout the year. The curriculum for our informational text unit supports students in learning to grasp major ideas and concepts. This unit supports students in reading to acquire and use both academic vocabulary and domain-specific vocabulary.
Writers’ Workshop
Like our Readers’ Workshop, our Writers’ Workshop aims to prepare kids for any writing task they will face or set themselves, to turn them into life-long, confident writers. As recommended by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Program (TCRWP), in order for students to improve as writers, and build stamina, it is important for them to have long stretches of time to practice. In our minilessons, we teach writing strategies that will help students move independently through the writing process while we teach responsively in small groups and individual conferences. In our writing workshop curriculum, each unit of study provides young writers with multiple opportunities to move through the different stages of the writing process in order to take their pieces from rehearsal to publication.
Information pertaining to Readers’ and Writers’ Workshops were gathered from the Teachers College website: http://readingandwritingproject.org/about/research-base
Like our Readers’ Workshop, our Writers’ Workshop aims to prepare kids for any writing task they will face or set themselves, to turn them into life-long, confident writers. As recommended by the Teachers College Reading and Writing Program (TCRWP), in order for students to improve as writers, and build stamina, it is important for them to have long stretches of time to practice. In our minilessons, we teach writing strategies that will help students move independently through the writing process while we teach responsively in small groups and individual conferences. In our writing workshop curriculum, each unit of study provides young writers with multiple opportunities to move through the different stages of the writing process in order to take their pieces from rehearsal to publication.
Information pertaining to Readers’ and Writers’ Workshops were gathered from the Teachers College website: http://readingandwritingproject.org/about/research-base